Gate latch



July 28, 1925. 1,547,833

E. E. SMITH GATE LATCH Filed March 12, 1823 Mantel 7 Patented Jul 28 19 5 UNITED STATES ELMER E. SMITH, OF GERI NG, NEBRASKA.

GATE LATCH.

Application filed March 12, 1923. Serial No. 624,536.

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that ELMER E. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Gering, in the county of Scotts Bluff and State of Nebraska, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gate Latches; and he does hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figuresof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to gate latches and has for an object to provide a latch which may be mounted upon and operate in combination with gates of substantially the ordinary construction and provide new and improved features of convenience, economy and reliability. A further object of the invention is to provide, in combination with a gate panel swinging in either direction of a sliding latch bar an improved means of sliding the bar to unlatching position, both by the use of the hand or the foot selectively. A further object of the invention is to provide, in combination with swinging gate panel of a sliding bar and a foot pedal adjacent the lower margin of the panel, having members extending yieldingly upon opposite sides of the panel to be engaged by the foot of the operator, the depression of which will slide the bar to unlatching position.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain novel parts, elements, units, combinations, functions and interactions as disclosed in the drawings, together with mechanical equivalents thereto, as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of'a conventional gate with the improved gate latch mounted thereon in operative and latched position.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the conventional gate panel, showing the gate latch in perspective.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Figure 1, showing in top plan the foot pedal arrangement.

Like characters of reference indicate cor-- responding parts throughout the several VIEWS- The improved gate latch which forms'the subject matter of this applicationis adapted to beassociated with swinging gate panels. of any usual and ordinary type, shown conventionally in the drawings and including the gate bars, 10. This gate panel is hinged at 11 in the usual and ordinary manner to swing in either direction and a latch post, 12, is properly spaced-in relation thereto and carries a strike plate, 13.

For co-action with the strike plate, 13, a member 14 is mounted to slide longitudi nally of the gate panel, a keeper, 15, being provided therefor, preferably rigidly connected with one of the members 10 and extending between the members 16 at the outer end of the panel, as indicated more particularly at Figure 2. This sliding bar 14 has an extremity 17 extending beyond the member 16 and in position for engagement with the strike plate 13 in the usual well known manner.

For actuating the sliding bar, 14, a lever, 18, is pivoted to any convenient part of the gate, as one of the members 10, and pivoted at 19 to the sliding bar 14. A spring 20 is appropriately mounted to hold the sliding bar normally yieldingly in position for interlocking with the strike plate 13. In the specific construction as shown this spring 20 is interposed between the keeper 15 and the lever 18, but the invention is in no way limited to this specific construction. Also preferably the lever 18 will be contained by handles 21 extending upwardly in position to be engaged upon either side of the gate so that the operator may oscillate the lever 18 when the gate is approached from either side.

From the lever 18 a cord or cable 22 extends through a keeper 23 which carries a roller, 24, for the purpose.

Slidable preferably vertically along one of the members 16 is a rod 25, a keeper 26 being provided for permitting the sliding movement of the bar, such bar being connected with the cable 22 so that as the are pedals 27 which are so formed as to be in position for ready access upon opposite sides of the panel, and sufiiciently close to the ground for convenient actuation by the foot. To assist in the proper positioning and sliding movement of these ipedals and rod 25, said rod is continued *by a loop or bend 28, embracing one of the members 16 and o0aoting with the keeper 26 in the proper positioning and guiding of the pedal structure.

' It is obvious that, as shown at Figure 1, the gate is latched by the usual and Well known engagement of the extremity 17 with the strike plate 18. The gate being approached iromefither side for -the purpose of opening the unlat'ching necessa'rymay be accomplished either by depressing with the foot the pedal structure or engagingcby the hand the levers 21, either action or both of which combined may be employed to move the lever 18 to dotted line position at Figure 1, throwing the latch bar also to 'dotted line position, which obviously will unlatch the extremity 17 and permit the swinging of the gate in either direction. The pedal or lever being released the "spring -20 serves to throw the bar 14 yielding'ly to its outward limit and in proper position for interlocking With the strike plate 18, when the gate is swung to closed position.

What I claim is: The combination with a gate panel embodying spaced horizontal rails and vertical bars spaced upon opposite sides of one end of the rails, off a pedal member compris ing an integral rod bent to present foot-enproviding sliding engagement of the pedal member with both bars, a sliding latch, and

means transmitting power from the pedal rnember to the latch.

In testimony whereof he hereunto aifiXes his signature. v I

ELMER E. SMITH. 

